'Net Features : netsuitehttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/tags/netsuite/default.aspxTags: netsuiteenCommunityServer 2008 SP2 (Build: 31104.93)Alton Lane: 7 Months with NetSuitehttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2015/01/19/alton-lane-7-months-with-netsuite.aspxMon, 19 Jan 2015 17:15:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:40278Amberly Dressler0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=40278http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2015/01/19/alton-lane-7-months-with-netsuite.aspx#comments<p>When a consumer spends more to get a high-end product, they expect a high-end shopping experience. And, when a retailer offers custom-tailored clothing, it&rsquo;s safe to assume its discerning shoppers want equally personalized service.</p>
<p>Providing an engaging, personalized and seamless omnichannel shopping experience to customers sounds easy in theory but often falls short in execution and the limitations of current processes and systems.&nbsp;</p>
<p>With seven physical showrooms from coast to coast, <a href="http://www.altonlane.com/" target="_blank">Alton Lane</a>, a maker of men&rsquo;s custom-tailored clothing, knew it needed to modernize its online and offline efforts to provide the kind of experience consumers have come to expect. It replaced various solutions, including QuickBooks and Salesforce.com with <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" target="_blank">NetSuite</a> in June 2014. Alton Lane deployed NetSuite to run its core retail business processes from order management, inventory management, financials, supplier purchasing and customer relationship management (CRM) to marketing &ndash; all from within one cloud-based business management platform.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/alton-lane-screenshot.png" width="450" height="316" alt="" /></p>
<p>Seven months later, Alton Lane, according to NetSuite, has dramatically improved its insights and control over its business processes, such as CRM, financials, inventory and order management, and is now able to deliver the highly personalized customer experiences that just weren&rsquo;t possible before with its fragmented systems. With <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/products/netsuite/crm.shtml" target="_blank">NetSuite CRM</a>, Alton Lane&rsquo;s customer experience team is able to collect customer data at every touch point and make it accessible across the entire organization. This real-time visibility enables Alton Lane to provide the advanced level of service required to manage the highly customized orders and guide customers through the in-person experience of designing their own custom-made clothing and also help to simplify repeat orders.</p>
<p>&ldquo;NetSuite&rsquo;s unified platform serves as our single record of the truth and has helped us to deliver a highly personalized customer experience to our customers,&rdquo; said Justin Stevens, Alton Lane director of domestic operations. &ldquo;Being able to connect all customer, order, inventory and financial information has given us a more holistic view of the business down to the smallest details. This level of visibility was just not possible with our previous systems.&rdquo;</p>
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<hr /><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=40278" width="1" height="1">netsuitewm-ecommerceAlton LaneA Modern Customer Experience for Furniture Retailer LoveSachttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2015/01/08/a-modern-customer-expereince-for-furniture-retailer-lovesac.aspxThu, 08 Jan 2015 16:55:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:39995Amberly Dressler0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=39995http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2015/01/08/a-modern-customer-expereince-for-furniture-retailer-lovesac.aspx#comments<p><strong>Having the necessary workflows and processes in place to seamlessly support physical store, e-commerce and call center channels is at the center of providing a modern customer experience.&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>In fact, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/07/17/millennials-love-consistency.aspx">60 percent</a> of one of the most powerful online demographics (millennials &ndash; ages 18 to 36) expect a consistent experience from brands whether they interact online, in store or via phone. So when one of the fastest-growing furniture stores in the United States wanted to essentially get its commerce experience with the times, it sought a new business management platform. &nbsp;After examining multiple solutions, Lovesac selected NetSuite&rsquo;s cloud solution to run everything from financials/ERP and inventory and order management to customer relationship management (CRM) and point-of-sale (POS).&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&ldquo;NetSuite is helping us transform how efficiently and effectively our company is run,&rdquo; said Ryan Johnson, Lovesac Chief Operating Officer. &ldquo;We now have 360-degree visibility into inventory and customer transactions across all channels, which is essential in providing a holistic omnichannel commerce experience and ensuring a high degree of customer satisfaction that drives loyalty and repeat business.&rdquo;</p>
<p>With NetSuite, Lovesac has increased its performance in critical business areas, such as operational efficiency, order management, inventory management, and customer service and support.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/lovesac-screenshot.png" width="550" height="267" alt="" /></p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=39995" width="1" height="1">netsuitewm-ecommerceRyan JohnsonLoveSacA Replatforming Campfire Tale http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/10/10/a-replatforming-campfire-tale.aspxFri, 10 Oct 2014 17:25:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:37637Amberly Dressler0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=37637http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/10/10/a-replatforming-campfire-tale.aspx#comments<hr />
<p>In a few short months, many retailers will consider switching the e-commerce platform they currently run their Web business on. The early months of the year prove the perfect time to do this because the holiday rush is in the rearview mirror.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For those who are considering replatforming, perhaps Saddelback Leather&rsquo;s experience, an online retailer of rugged and distinctive leather bags, luggage, wallets and accessories, can serve them well.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.saddlebackleather.com/">Saddleback Leather</a> is now leveraging NetSuite&rsquo;s <a target="_blank" href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/products/netsuite/suitecommerce.shtml">SuiteCommerce</a> platform to manage its entire business, including e-commerce, financials, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/products/netsuite/erp/supply-inventory.shtml">inventory management</a>, order management, marketing, manufacturing, customer service and support. In addition to a richer and more engaging end-user experience, Saddleback Leather also now offers a mobile optimized experience for both mobile and tablet users.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We wanted to be sure the new site supported and accentuated our unique brand, while also providing an engaging experience and best path to purchase for our customers,&rdquo; said Blake LeBrun, Saddleback Leather Operations Manager. &ldquo;SuiteCommerce has succeeded in allowing us to deliver a fantastic brand experience across any device that keeps our customers engaged.&rdquo; &nbsp;</p>
<p>It should be noted that Saddleback Leather&rsquo;s digital experience was completely overhauled in just over three months.</p>
<p>Since re-launching on SuiteCommerce in July, Saddleback Leather has seen an increase in overall sales while realizing significant improvements in a number of key ecommerce metrics, including:</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">&bull;<span> </span>Improved site load times</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">&bull;<span> </span>Increase in average time on site</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">&bull;<span> </span>Increase in page views per session</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">&bull;<span> </span>Decrease in cart abandonment</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">&bull;<span> </span>Reduction in the single-page &ldquo;bounce rate&rdquo; among mobile users</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;"><img height="292" width="550" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/saddleback-leather.png" style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" alt="" /></p>
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<h4><img height="20" width="20" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/subarrow.png" style="float:left;" alt="" />&nbsp;<a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/subscribe/default.aspx?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_campaign=WMcontent">SUBSCRIBE FREE to Website Magazine - 12 Issues&nbsp;</a></h4><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=37637" width="1" height="1">netsuitewm-ecommerceSaddleback Leather2 Retailers Mix Business with Consumershttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/08/29/2-retailers-mix-business-with-consumers.aspxFri, 29 Aug 2014 16:15:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:36538Amberly Dressler0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=36538http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/08/29/2-retailers-mix-business-with-consumers.aspx#comments<hr />
<p>The B2B sale is traditionally a lot longer than its B2C counterpart, but business buyers are bringing many of their e-commerce expectations to B2B &ndash; forcing the companies that provide products and services to companies to offer streamlined, cross-channel experiences or risk losing sales to those that do.</p>
<p>Bloomingdale, Ill.-based company Christian Art Gifts is ahead of the curve in this regard as it is now taking a B2C approach with its B2B customers with the implementation of responsive design, faceted search and one-page checkout.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.christianartgifts.com/" target="_blank">Christian Art Gifts</a> was able to add these capabilities through its use of NetSuite&rsquo;s SuiteCommerce. Shortly after going live with SuiteCommerce in Feb. 2014, the company saw a five-fold increase in overall traffic and online orders. Christian Art Gifts also found significant improvements in valuable metrics like average order value and page views per session.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Using <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" target="_blank">NetSuite</a>, Christian Art Gifts is now able to give its 4,000 B2B retail customers (which includes Barnes &amp; Noble), an online shopping experience that mimics some of the most popular consumer destinations. Its B2B retail customers now have self-service account management capabilities to view orders, access invoices and management payments.&nbsp;</p>
<p>NetSuite customer RST Brands has found similar success but took the opposite approach &ndash; building on the success it already achieved with NetSuite for its B2B side and now re-launching two direct-to-consumer websites. For a little background, RST Brands supply home and lifestyle d&eacute;cor products to leading retailers like Home Depot, Costco, Sears, etc.&nbsp;</p>
<p>To build its B2C brand, it re-launched <a href="http://www.rstbrands.com" target="_blank">www.rstbrands.com</a> and <a href="http://www.flowwall.com" target="_blank">www.flowwall.com</a>, on NetSuite SuiteCommerce. Since going live in Dec. 2013, RST Brands has seen higher conversions and less cart abandonment and single-page bounces, particularly with smartphone and tablet users.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;SuiteCommerce has opened up the door for us to be able to deliver the experiences our customers have come to expect when shopping online,&rdquo; said Matt Grimm, RST Brands director of e-commerce. &ldquo;We have definitely seen an increase in mobile engagement. Site speed is faster, the search is easier to navigate, especially faceted search, so customers can filter results and quickly find what they want.&rdquo;</p>
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<h4><img style="float:left;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/subarrow.png" width="20" height="20" alt="" />&nbsp;<a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/subscribe/default.aspx?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_campaign=WMcontent">SUBSCRIBE FREE to Website Magazine - 12 Issues&nbsp;</a></h4><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=36538" width="1" height="1">netsuitesuitecommercewm-softwareE-Commerce Just Got 'Cloudier' http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/07/17/e-commerce-just-got-cloudier.aspxThu, 17 Jul 2014 16:30:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:35379Amberly Dressler0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=35379http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/07/17/e-commerce-just-got-cloudier.aspx#comments<hr />
<p><strong>Transforming how companies run their businesses is a goal for most technology brands today.</strong></p>
<p>Sometimes reaching that goal requires a combination of customer insight and years of experience and the technology itself &ndash; industry clout certainly helps too.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This is one reason for <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" target="_blank">NetSuite</a>&#39;s recent acquisition of <a href="http://www.venda.com/" target="_blank">Venda</a>. The acquisition will help NetSuite accelerate momentum around its SuiteCommerce cloud-based commerce platform and expand its footprint in Europe. Venda brings to the digital table deep customer insight and years of experience delivering a real-time, scalable commerce platform, according to NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson. Similarly, NetSuite brings cloud leadership and the need to support customers around the globe who are beginning to adopt its SuiteCommerce omnichannel platform. NetSuite&rsquo;s Q4 2013 ending <a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/05/19/it-s-a-suiteworld.aspx" target="_blank">cash balance of $452,000,000</a> also gave the cloud-based software suite some elbow room for an acquisition like Venda.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For the unfamiliar, Venda&rsquo;s platform serves brands like Tesco F&amp;F Clothing, boohoo.com, Laura Ashley, Little Tikes, TK Maxx and Arsenal Football Club. Its Convergent Commerce Platform (see image) enables these brands and others to deliver a unified experience for their customers across online, mobile, social and in-store &ndash; all necessary components for retailers chasing the true omnichannel experience (where customers don&rsquo;t think in channels, and a retailer doesn&rsquo;t either).&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/venda-platform.png" width="600" height="387" alt="" /></p>
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<hr /><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=35379" width="1" height="1">netsuitee-commerce platformswm-moversVendaThe Latest and Greatest in Internet Retailhttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/06/16/the-latest-and-greatest-in-internet-retail.aspxMon, 16 Jun 2014 19:00:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:34463Allison Howen3http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=34463http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/06/16/the-latest-and-greatest-in-internet-retail.aspx#comments<p><strong>Industry trade shows provide a good place for professionals to connect with one another and obtain new sales opportunities. These events, however, can also be a great place for companies to drive brand awareness.</strong></p>
<p>Most recently, Website Magazine attended IRCE in our hometown of Chicago, where our editors discovered some noteworthy brands and technologies that should be on the radar of small and large merchants alike.&nbsp;We brought back 24 companies we think you should check out, either because they recently launched a new product, provided insights into Internet retail trends or are just plain awesome.&nbsp;</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/smartbear_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://alertsite.com/">AlertSite</a></h2>
<p>Software professionals building and delivering applications should learn more about SmartBear Software&rsquo;s new AlertSite UXM, which can help them focus on delivering superior customer experiences. AlertSite UXM is an easy-to-deploy platform that unifies load testing, synthetic and real transaction monitoring in a single platform delivered as either a SaaS or on premise offering. AlertSite UXM provides complete monitoring and transaction tracing capabilities, not just for applications, but also APIs to assist in rapid root cause analysis.</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/App-Annie_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.appannie.com/">App Annie</a></h2>
<p>Amazon, Groupon, Walgreens, Cartwheel and Etsy round out the top five retail apps in mobile (iPhone, iPad and Google Play), according to <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.appannie.com/app-annie-internet-retailer-index-2014/">App Annie&rsquo;s Q1 2014 Index</a>. Commentary included in the report indicated that some of the top apps like Walgreens (3), Walmart (6), Target (7) and The Home Depot (16) have enhanced their mobile apps with tools to connect shoppers with physical storefronts, like built-in scanners for product searches, location-based coupons, shopping lists linked to store maps, etc. </p>
<p><strong><img style="float:left;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Artifilogo.jpeg" width="75" height="75" alt="" /></strong></p>
<h2><strong><a href="http://www.artifilabs.com/" target="_blank">Artifi<br /></a></strong></h2>
<p>Artifi is a SaaS-based product customization engine that launched at IRCE. The platform works on both desktops and mobile devices, and helps businesses deliver a better experience by allowing merchants to empower their customers through product customization. In doing so, merchants have a better chance at improving site engagement metrics and increasing conversion rates. Additionally, Artifi integrates with e-commerce platforms like Demandware, Magento and more.</p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/artifi.png" width="400" height="240" alt="" /></p>
<h2><strong><img style="float:left;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/getcakelogo.png" width="75" height="75" alt="" /><a href="http://getcake.com/" target="_blank">Cake</a></strong></h2>
<p>Cake is a SaaS platform that provides insights and real-time tracking technology to help marketers understand the customer journey across channels. Through the platform, marketers can optimize their campaigns for better performance and track performance marketing initiatives. In fact, Cake offers a variety of affiliate tracking features, including fraud protection with real-time alerts, impression tracking, cookie-less tracking, campaign testing features, etc.</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/CQuotient_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://cquotient.com/">CQuotient</a></h2>
<p>Amy Larson, vice president of digital at The Children&rsquo;s Place, and CQuotient&rsquo;s founder and CEO, Rama Ramakrishnan, co-presented at IRCE. In the presentation, &ldquo;Beat the Competition by Personalizing Content and Communication,&rdquo; the pair discussed how retailers can implement next-generation personalization by mining data from every consumer touchpoint. The session explored how retailers can use the data they already have to understand each individual customer, and create personalized content and communications across channels. Learn more in, &ldquo;<a href="http://cquotient.com/rsr-may-2014-report/" target="_blank">Retail&rsquo;s Email Moment: How Personalization Can Revitalize Retailer&rsquo;s Email Strategy</a>.&rdquo;</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/eBay-Enterprise_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /></h2>
<h2><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ebayenterprise.com/">eBay Enterprise</a></h2>
<p>Someone has been busy; eBay Enterprise announced that it will be providing regional fulfillment services for Walgreens and Paula&rsquo;s Choice for faster and more affordable product delivery, which comes on the heels of expanded operations in Canada. The company also recently announced the availability of two new extensions for Magento merchants in the Magento Connect Marketplace: the eBay Enterprise Display Extension, enabling retailers to deliver personalized product-specific ads to retarget lost customers; and the eBay Enterprise Affiliate Extension, offering reporting tools to analyze, track and launch affiliate programs and easy integration with eBay Enterprise&rsquo;s network of more than 200,000 affiliates. </p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/ecommera_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ecommera.com/">eCommera</a></h2>
<p>At IRCE, eCommera released its Global Retailer Survey entitled &ldquo;<a target="_blank" href="http://engage.ecommera.com/Survival-for-the-fittest-survey_US_report.html">Survival of the Fittest</a>.&rdquo; A survey of more than 300 retailers in the U.S. France and the U.K found, among other stats, that 66 percent of U.S. respondents see a need for retailers to re-think their businesses to compete with Amazon (compared with just 24 percent in the U.K. and 40 percent in France). Additionally, more than 70 percent of U.S. retailers and 68 percent of U.K. retailers plan on &ldquo;some&rdquo; or &ldquo;substantial&rdquo; hiring in marketing over the next two years.</p>
<h2><img style="float:left;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/eGifter_100x100.png" width="75" height="75" alt="" /><a href="https://www.egifter.com/" target="_blank">eGifter</a></h2>
<p>In coordination with IRCE, eGifter launched a digital gift card platform that integrates with e-commerce point-of-sale technologies to provide small- and medium-sized businesses with a solution for implementing digital gift cards. The platform enables retailers to sell and reload digital cards from their websites, fan pages, mobile apps or brick-and-mortar locations.</p>
<h2><img style="float:left;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Endicialogo.jpeg" width="75" height="75" alt="" /><a href="http://www.endicia.com/" target="_blank">Endicia</a></h2>
<p>Endicia, provider of e-commerce shipping technologies and services, launched a &ldquo;Pay-on-Use Returns&rdquo; solution, which aims to help online retailers save time and money, as well as improve the return experience for online shoppers. Through the solution, return shipping labels are not pre-paid. Instead, postage is only deducted if and when a return label is scanned into the mail stream, which means that merchants don&rsquo;t have to spend time requesting refunds for return labels that go unused.</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/GetResponse-icon_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.getresponse.com/">GetResponse</a></h2>
<p>Marketers can build and publish landing pages in minutes without any IT support or coding with GetResponse&rsquo;s new Landing Page Creator 2.0. Aside from its low price point ($15-$50 a month), the new feature provides a drag-and-drop editing for editing and customizing templates, more than 100 high-converting landing page templates with matching thank you pages, easy-to-add video and images (with more than 1,000 free photos), responsive Web design, etc.</p>
<p><img height="385" width="550" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/getresponse-landingpages.png" style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" alt="" /></p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/iNetU_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.inetu.net/">iNetU</a></h2>
<p>INetU debuted its PCI Compliance dashboard at IRCE 2014, which helps clients maintain PCI compliance through evaluation and monitoring of their systems, and compiles the results in a simple interface to ease the burden of managing compliance for retailers and other e-commerce companies that accept credit card transactions.</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/InsiteSoftware_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.insitesoft.com/">Insite Software</a></h2>
<p>Insite&rsquo;s new platform, Insite Commerce 3.6, introduces capabilities to simplify the e-commerce experience through responsive design and support for localization. Insite Software has also recently extended the platform&rsquo;s functionality to leverage the personalization capabilities from the Sitecore Digital Marketing System. Together, they have developed a way to integrate e-commerce technology with Web content management systems.</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/magento-icon_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://magento.com/">Magento</a>&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Magento Enterprise 1.14 and Community Edition 1.9 were launched in May and touted at IRCE, drastically reducing the barrier for merchants to get a tablet- and smartphone-friendly responsive site. The new editions also integrate Bill Me Later and PayPal Express Checkout empowering merchants to further streamline checkout.</p>
<h2><img style="float:left;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/marketlivelogo.jpeg" width="75" height="75" alt="" /><a href="http://www.marketlive.com/" target="_blank">MarketLive</a></h2>
<p>Popular commerce solutions provider MarketLive unveiled version 14.1 of its e-commerce platform during IRCE. The new version features Responsive Commerce technology, including responsive design templates that can help merchants deliver a better experience across devices. In addition, the new release includes merchant administrative upgrades as well as enhancements that enable rapid extension and upgrading of the platform.</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/montetate-icon_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://monetate.com/">Monetate </a></h2>
<p>Just released, The Ecommerce Quarterly Q1 2014 report, analyzes a random sample of more than 600M online shopping experiences using &ldquo;same store&rdquo; data across each calendar quarter. In Q1 2014 email continued to outpace advertising, search and social as the top Add to Cart Rate referrer, and outpaced social and advertising in driving traffic to retailer&rsquo;s websites (but not search).</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/monetate-traffic-source_large.png"><img height="107" width="550" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/monetate-traffic-source.png" style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" alt="" /></a></p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/netsuite_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml">NetSuite</a></h2>
<p>It&rsquo;s no secret that B2B buyers are expecting B2C-like commerce experiences but the former often has more complexities than a typical e-commerce site. Available now, NetSuite&rsquo;s SuiteCommerce Implementation Service provides a Web store for distributors that is loaded with features and functionality to reduce complexities for the company and improve the buying experience for the clients. The new offering can help jumpstart e-commerce for distributors looking to expand online to reach new markets and new customers, grow revenue, reduce the administrative costs of phone, email, direct and fax orders, and provide greater ease and convenience of account administration for existing customers.</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/PowerReviews-new_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.powerreviews.com/">PowerReviews</a></h2>
<p>PowerReviews has been <a target="_blank" href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/04/09/bazaarvoice-reviews-options-prepares-to-divest-powerreviews-business.aspx">around the block</a>, but the technology that helps brands and retailers better engage their consumers (it has more than 22 million consumer reviews) has found a new home. Consumer reviews platform Viewpoints has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire PowerReviews from Bazaarvoice. With the acquisition, the companies will unite under the PowerReviews brand as a leader in the consumer engagement and customer reviews market.</p>
<h2><img style="float:left;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Pricewaiterlogo.png" width="75" height="75" alt="" /><a href="https://www.pricewaiter.com/" target="_blank">PriceWaiter </a></h2>
<p>PriceWaiter is a commerce solution that enables retailers to add &ldquo;name your price&rdquo; functionality to their websites. Through the platform, merchants can incorporate a &ldquo;make an offer&rdquo; widget into their product pages. From there, consumers can make product price offers and merchants can either accept, reject or counter-offer through the PriceWaiter dashboard. The platform provides offer management capabilities as well as insights and analytics. Moreover, the solution helps retailers to get around M.A.P. (minimal advertised price) policies, as it enables merchants and consumers to agree on prices privately.</p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/name-your-price.png" width="480" height="300" alt="" /></p>
<h2><img style="float:left;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Purolatorintlogo.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="" /><a href="http://www.purolatorinternational.com/" target="_blank">Purolator International</a></h2>
<p>Purolator International is a parcel and freight delivery services provider. Recently, the company unveiled a solution called PuroPost, which is a B2C solution for delivery from the U.S. to Canada. The solution provides guaranteed service to residential locations in Canada within 2-8 business days. Through the solution merchants can reach up to 34 million Canadians. Plus, PuroPost provides Canadian consumers with notifications when their packages are shipped and again when deliveries are made.</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Shopatron_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://ecommerce.shopatron.com/">Shopatron</a></h2>
<p>Debuted at IRCE, Inventory Lookup by Shopatron is an API key that retailers can plug into their websites to get a &ldquo;Find in Store&rdquo; product locator up and running in the same day. A product like this could take plenty of time and money for retailers to build their own, but Shopatron is offering the feature free, even for non-clients. World Market &amp; Sport Chalet are currently using the feature as clients.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/sport-chalet-find-in-store.png"><img height="325" width="550" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/sport-chalet-find-in-store-small.png" style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" alt="" /></a></p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/snap36_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.snap36.com/">Snap36</a></h2>
<p>Adding more visual information to an e-commerce site has been proven to increase conversions and reduce product returns. Snap36 photographers shoot 360-degree and 3-D product photography in its Chicago studio using state of the art machinery and an automated workflow. The robotic turntable (shown below) was on display at IRCE.</p>
<p><img height="440" width="450" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/robotic-turntable.png" style="vertical-align:middle;" alt="" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><img height="75" width="75" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/social-annex_100x100.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.socialannex.com/">Social Annex</a></h2>
<p>For many, social commerce is an untapped revenue source. Social Annex is looking to change that with the introduction of an <a target="_blank" href="http://socialcommerceblog.socialannex.com/2014/05/16/social-annex-introduces-roi-driven-visual-commerce-suite/">ROI-driven Visual Commerce</a> suite. To maximize the potential of Instagram, Social Annex&rsquo;s Visual Commerce suite includes tools like Instagram Curated Galleries, Social Curated Products, Social Activity Feed, Products your friends like, Popular products in your area and Social Wishlist. These tools are designed to create a visual immersive onsite experience that engages shoppers up to and at the point of sale.</p>
<h2><img style="float:left;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Trustpilotlogo.png" width="75" height="75" alt="" /><a href="https://www.trustpilot.com/" target="_blank">Trustpilot</a></h2>
<p>Trustpilot is an open online consumer review platform that has made a splash in Denmark and is looking to do the same in the United States. Through the platform, businesses can collect verified reviews, as well as respond to and share reviews. Plus, business owners can connect all reviews to an order ID to make it easier to identify customers and reply to them directly. It is also important to note that Trustpilot has a licensing agreement with Google, which can help merchants achieve Seller Ratings in Google Shopping and related AdWords ads.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/trust-pilot_nfl-large.png" target="_blank"><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/trust-pilot_nfl.png" width="550" height="283" alt="" /></a></p>
<h2><img style="float:left;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Yotpologo.jpeg" width="75" height="75" alt="" /><a href="https://www.yotpo.com/" target="_blank">Yotpo</a></h2>
<p>Product review software provider Yotpo launched a premium product suite for small businesses last week. Through the solution, small businesses are equipped with tools that can help them drive traffic and increase sales. One of the suite&rsquo;s most notable features is its integration with Google Search. The integration with Google helps merchants boost their search rankings, as it features detailed product information in search results including a product&rsquo;s average review score. Plus, Yotpo provides data to Google&rsquo;s Seller Ratings, which show up in AdWords campaigns.</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=34463" width="1" height="1">netsuiteshopatronmagento commercegetresponsePowerReviewsIRCEalertsitewmfeatureSnap36endiciaapp annieyotposocial annexMonetate DisplaycquotienteBay enterprisemarketlive connectcakeeGifterartifiInsite SoftwarePurolator InternationaliNetUeCommeraPriceWaiterTrustpilotIt's a SuiteWorld http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/05/19/it-s-a-suiteworld.aspxMon, 19 May 2014 17:15:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:33735Amberly Dressler0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=33735http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/05/19/it-s-a-suiteworld.aspx#comments<hr />
<p><strong>Some of the largest public software companies in the world hold yearly, very impressive events for current and prospective customers, partners, analysts and press.&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>The shows are meant to educate attendees about the capabilities of their solutions, as well as provide presentations on case studies, recent updates and more. Not to mention, entertain. When done right, attendees leave not only with an understanding of how to deploy the software better, but also with confidence to renew their contracts, become/stay a partner or provide good reviews/press.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This past week, NetSuite &ndash; a cloud-based software suite that includes business accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), CRM and e-commerce software &ndash; held its annual SuiteWorld in San Jose, Calif.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Aside from tables of candy, flying trapeze and plenty of buzzwords (albeit most executives were hesitant to use them), NetSuite introduced a variety of product updates:&nbsp;</p>
<h3 style="padding-left:30px;">New NetSuite User Interface (UI) for Applications</h3>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">Based on &ldquo;flat design&rdquo; paradigms, which emphasizes crispness and clarity, the new UI leverages HTML5, provides an improved tablet experience and responsive dashboards. Starting in June, the new UI will be rolled out slowly to minimize disruption. For the same reason, NetSuite will provide webinars and seminars and allow users to choose between the new and old systems. (Screenshot below.)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Netsuite-UI-Dashboard-large.png" target="_blank"><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/NewUI-Dashboard3.png" width="550" height="408" alt="" /></a></p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">&ldquo;Since the day I founded NetSuite I have spent much of my time tackling one of the thorniest challenges in building complex mission-critical business applications &nbsp;-- making them not only easy-to-use, but also enjoyable,&rdquo; said Founder and CTO Evan Goldberg. &nbsp;&ldquo;Our new UI was not only designed with customers in mind, in some ways it was actually designed by customers. The result is an experience that really sets the standard for modern business applications.&rdquo;</p>
<h3 style="padding-left:30px;"><span> </span>New B2B Customer Center</h3>
<p style="padding-left:30px;"><span> </span>In addition to its new UI dashboard, NetSuite introduced its new out-of-the-box B2B Customer Center, which supports data like invoices, credit memos and other complexities of running a B2B business. It&rsquo;s a single system built on NetSuite&rsquo;s SuiteCommerce platform to manage CRM and all operational aspects.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">&ldquo;B2B ecommerce is a catalyst for growth that enables companies to reach new customers and markets while improving efficiency across the value chain,&rdquo; said Andy Lloyd, general manager of commerce products for NetSuite. &ldquo;The B2B Customer Center sweetens the deal for sellers and buyers alike with capabilities to streamline the B2B commerce experience and move more business to the faster and more productive online channel.&rdquo;</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">Here is an example of the front-facing B2B customer center:&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/B2B-Customer-Center.png" target="_blank"><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/B2B-Customer-Center-resized.png" width="550" height="614" alt="" /></a></p>
<h3 style="padding-left:30px;">New Services Resource Planning (SRP) Solution&nbsp;</h3>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">NetSuite also introduced its new SRP that helps enable project- and product-based businesses to run their entire business life cycle&mdash;from project management, resource management, time-and-expense management, to project accounting&mdash;all in one software solution. (Screenshot below.)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Project-Dashboard-UI-for-NS-SRP-Release.png" target="_blank"><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Project-Dashboard-UI-for-NS-SRP.png" width="550" height="350" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>SuiteWorld was certainly designed to impress with plenty of news and attractions to keep everyone educated and entertained, but what stood out to this editor was that NetSuite still &ndash; despite its growth and large clientele &ndash; has a spot for small businesses. In a way, they are re-invigorating that sector with its focus on industry groups. They are becoming specialists in being able to serve industry groups, from small to very large, fairly easy. For example, a small business owner who sells wine online to distributors and the public or has a non-profit would fit easily into NetSuite&rsquo;s software suite and would serve as a viable option to either get started or replace disparate systems (as would their enterprise counterparts), because retail and non-profits are two of NetSuite&#39;s focuses (as are manufacturing, wholesale distribution, software, manufacturing, government, etc.), but a local skateboarding shop may not be the best fit. While NetSuite&rsquo;s architecture is very digestible, they are definitely focused on certain verticals.</p>
<p>Under the NetSuite umbrella, however, is LightCMS which addresses the needs of, for example, that skateboard shop or a local optometrist (whose site is pictured below) with its easy-to-use website, online store builder (for both real and digital goods) and cloud-based content management system.</p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/lightcms-eyedr-example.png" width="550" height="413" alt="" /></p>
<p>As for what&rsquo;s next for NetSuite, it will be interesting to see. Certainly its Q4 2013 ending cash balance of $452,000,000 can dictate more updates and, from a pure speculation standpoint, perhaps some acquisitions too. </p>
<hr />
<h4><img style="float:left;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/subarrow.png" width="20" height="20" alt="" />&nbsp;<a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/subscribe/default.aspx?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_campaign=WMcontent">SUBSCRIBE FREE to Website Magazine - 12 Issues&nbsp;</a></h4>
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<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=33735" width="1" height="1">netsuitelightcmswmfeaturewm-ecommerceSuiteWorldEvan GoldbergAndy LloydSwitch the Channel From "Multi" to "Omni"http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/05/13/the-omnichannel-approach-demonstrates-why-it-s-so-quot-hot-quot.aspxTue, 13 May 2014 17:05:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:33506DerekS0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=33506http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/05/13/the-omnichannel-approach-demonstrates-why-it-s-so-quot-hot-quot.aspx#comments<hr />
<p><strong>Why is omnichannel so popular now? What was wrong with multichannel?</strong></p>
<p>Simply put, multichannel is like the original Game Boy to omnichannel&#39;s Game Boy Color. There is technically nothing wrong with the original Game Boy but it does have its limitations just like a mulitchannel approach does.</p>
<p> The main drawback in using this method is that each platform operates independently. This means that when a change is made on the company&#39;s website it has no direct affect on the app or in-store operations.This fractured approach makes for an uneven experience for the customer. On the other hand, omnichannel is a more unified method where changes on any level impact all platforms of operations providing a more cohesive experience for the customer.</p>
<p>
In 2007 a partnership was announced between <a href="http://www.spscommerce.com/" title="SPS Commerce Home page" target="_blank">SPS Commerce</a>, a cloud based supply chain management solution, and <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" title="NetSuite Home Page" target="_blank">NetSuite</a>, a provider of cloud based business management tools. The two companies partnered together to create an omnichannel approach to help retail companies and their suppliers better communicate. The hope was that this ultimately would save companies money. One way they hoped improved communication would save businesses money was by cutting back on human error. Mistakes are not only expensive to fix, but time consuming as well.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Through two separate announcements (both released on the same day) SPS Commerce and NetSuite indicated that not only are they further integrating their product sets (including shared point-of-sale analytics) but that companies have already seen notable cost savings with the use of their services.</p>
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<h3><a style="font-size:1.17em;" href="https://www.beyondtherack.com/auth/register" title="Beyond the Rack Register Page" target="_blank">BEYOND THE RACK</a></h3>
<p>
With the standardized environment created by the SPS Commerce and NetSuite services, the ecommerce company expects to eliminate hundreds of hours of weekly manual labor. The services will save these hours by allowing for easy sharing of information, such as vendor UPC codes, as opposed to manually translating the UPC codes as well as internal Beyond the Rack codes and SKU numbers in Excel.</p>
<p><img style="margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/btr2.jpg" width="350" height="259" alt="" /></p>
<h3><a href="http://www.honeystinger.com/" title="Honey Stinger Home Page" target="_blank">HONEY STINGER</a></h3>
<p>
Using the services provided by SPS Commerce and NetSuite, the all-natural energy and protein bar maker is saving around 1,500 hours a year in order entry and transaction processing. In Q1 2014, Honey Stinger estimated saving 300 hours of entry time spanning 10,000 orders. This saved time enabled sales associates to focus on new orders from ecommerce sites and retail stores. The combined services saved 60 hours alone by removing costly chargebacks due to incorrect information.</p>
<p><img style="margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/honey_stinger2.jpg" width="350" height="235" alt="" /></p>
<h3><a href="http://www.zumba.com/en-US" title="Zumba Home Page" target="_blank">
ZUMBA</a></h3>
<p>
Due to the SPS Commerce and NetSuite services, Zumba has been able to avoid hiring four full-time personnel to process between 500 and 800 daily transactions. Zumba has also been able to increase accuracy of its orders thanks to the elimination of human error.</p>
<p><img style="margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/zumbaphoto.jpg" width="350" height="229" alt="" /></p>
<h3></h3>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=33506" width="1" height="1">analyticsnetsuitedesign and developmentsps commercewm-softwareomnichannel tipsBeyond the RackZumbaHoney StingerA New Look to Wholesale Websiteshttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/03/17/a-new-look-to-wholesale-websites.aspxMon, 17 Mar 2014 14:30:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:32135Amberly Dressler1http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=32135http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/03/17/a-new-look-to-wholesale-websites.aspx#comments<hr />
<p>Wholesalers and distributors often have a tough time on the Web. They must cater to a B2B audience, while creating a B2C-like experience that many of their buyers are accustomed to. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.pag-leisurewear.co.uk/" target="_blank">PAG Leisurewear</a>, one of the United Kingdom&#39;s leading apparel wholesalers, recently turned to <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" target="_blank">NetSuite</a> to bridge the digital B2B and B2C gap. The wholesale clothing distributor is leveraging NetSuite SuiteCommerce to manage its omnichannel business from end-to-end on one unified business management suite &ndash; including B2B and B2C e-commerce, financials, inventory management, order management, third-party logistics, marketing, and customer service and support &ndash; all without a dedicated IT staff.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;The traditional methods of distribution, which used to rely solely on fax and telesales, are quickly shifting to meet the preferences of today&rsquo;s consumers,&quot; said&nbsp;<span>Michael Hanreck, partner, PAG Leisurewear. &quot;</span><span>The Web has now become the center of our business to meet the needs of our customers who demand an easy-to-use Web store with real-time access to stock information from any device. SuiteCommerce is the future-proof e-commerce platform we need to support our customers and growth plans.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p>PAG Leisurewear&#39;s new website is similar to traditional B2C sites, but with unique functionality for its B2B customers. For example, according to NetSuite, PAG Leisurewear is leveraging an advanced grid order sheet to help customers quickly and easily select and add items to the cart. Customers are also able to access current and future stock information in various time periods, an important capability for customers who may need an order immediately. </p>
<p>Screen grab of&nbsp;<span>PAG Leisurewear&#39;s homepage:</span></p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/page-netsuite.png" width="600" height="243" alt="" /></p>
<p>Screen grab of a PAG Leisurewear product page:</p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/PAG-productpage.png" width="600" height="484" alt="" /></p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=32135" width="1" height="1">netsuiteB2bwm-ecommerceb2c buyerPAG LeisurewearMichael HanreckSmall Retailers Sell Online, Thank LightCMShttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/01/27/small-retailers-sell-online-thank-lightcms.aspxMon, 27 Jan 2014 14:30:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:30643Amberly Dressler0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=30643http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/01/27/small-retailers-sell-online-thank-lightcms.aspx#comments<hr />
<p>As Internet professionals, it&rsquo;s easy to lose sight of the fact that more than half of small business owners still don&rsquo;t have a website, which is especially detrimental for those selling products to consumers. &nbsp;</p>
<p>According to LightCMS, a cloud-based content management system, expanding into e-commerce has traditionally been a challenge for small retailers, demanding a significant upfront investment and technical skills from businesses that have few available resources.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Website Magazine has spoken with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/pages/take-c-a-r-e-when-marketing-to-modern-moms.aspx">retailers using LightCMS before</a> and found it to be true that the NetSuite company lowers the barrier to entry for showcasing physical and digital goods online.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In an effort to showcase how LightCMS helps small retailers jumpstart selling online, the company profiled three of its merchants running their online businesses on LightCMS: Israel Diamond Supply, Mumma Cakes and Sugarillashop. Here&rsquo;s what the three retailers had to say:</p>
<p><img height="125" width="125" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/israel-diamons.png" style="float:left;margin:5px;" alt="" />&ldquo;An online presence is very important in this day and age and LightCMS gives us an easy way to get in touch with our customers and potential customers,&rdquo; said Chris Price, director of e-commerce at Israel Diamond Supply. &ldquo;LightCMS is very easy to use without having to worry about code on the back end&mdash;pretty much like updating your Facebook. We have complete control of the content on our website so we don&#39;t have to rely on third parties to get things done.&quot;</p>
<p><img height="128" width="125" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/mamacakes2_copy2.png" style="float:left;border:1px solid black;margin:5px;" alt="" />&ldquo;I can easily add products and make changes, and if I ever have a question, the LightCMS team is always there with an answer,&rdquo; said Nicole Dicker, Mumma Cakes owner and former test kitchen professional at Woman&rsquo;s Weekly magazine. &ldquo;I like the design templates available in LightCMS because they suited the style I wanted and the ideas I had. I think it&rsquo;s a great platform and very user-friendly.&rdquo;</p>
<p><img height="125" width="125" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/sugarillashop.png" style="float:left;border:1px solid black;margin:5px;" alt="" />&quot;The hurdle for us was how to build and maintain a website,&quot; said Stephanie Gonce, founder and owner of Sugarillashop. &quot;That thought seemed very intimidating and ominous to us until we found LightCMS. LightCMS is very user-friendly and we never feel limited in what we can do. We&rsquo;re not worried about LightCMS&#39;s ability to grow with us because it&#39;s always on the cutting edge and provides us with everything we need even before we know we need it.&quot;&nbsp;</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s clear these small retailers are pleased with the results from LightCMS, but the question becomes, how do they know the platform will scale with their businesses? For that, let&rsquo;s turn to LightCMS Director of Content Management Justin Cowan.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Though LightCMS&#39;s e-commerce functionality is extremely easy to use, it is also powerful enough to scale and grow as business needs change,&rdquo; said Cowan. &ldquo;Plus, LightCMS is owned by NetSuite Inc., a leader in cloud-based ERP and e-commerce solutions. As a member of NetSuite&#39;s family of products, LightCMS is well-positioned to meet the needs of its customers now and in the future.&rdquo;</p>
<div></div>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=30643" width="1" height="1">netsuitedigital goodslightcmswm-ecommerceselling downloadsJustin CowanRetailers Find "Suite" Spot in Omnichannel http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/01/14/retailers-find-quot-suite-quot-spot-in-omnichannel.aspxTue, 14 Jan 2014 19:28:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:30294Amberly Dressler1http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=30294http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/01/14/retailers-find-quot-suite-quot-spot-in-omnichannel.aspx#comments<hr />
<p>In today&#39;s retail environment, growing your business often depends on meeting the expectations of omnichannel customers. </p>
<p>This starts, according to <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" target="_blank">NetSuite</a> General Manager of Retail Branden Jenkins, with a brand experience that&#39;s relevant and consistent across online, mobile, call center and in-store touchpoints. This is in great part why retailers <a href="http://shop.ibex.com/" target="_blank">Ibex Outdoor Clothing</a>, <a href="http://www.wisteria.com/" target="_blank">Wisteria</a> and <a href="http://www.georgesmusic.com/" target="_blank">George&rsquo;s Music</a> decided to recently employ the cloud-based solution NetSuite SuiteCommerce to run end-to-end omnichannel businesses, from e-commerce, POS, order and inventory management to CRM, analytics and financials.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&quot;NetSuite is an ideal fit that can give us a single customer view across multiple channels as well as efficiency in inventory and order management that&rsquo;s not possible with our current systems,&rdquo; said Andrew Newsom, Wisteria president. &ldquo;With NetSuite we plan to focus our energies on customer service and innovation instead of moving data back and forth and dealing with in-house systems.&rdquo;</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=30294" width="1" height="1">E-Commerceanalyticsretailersnetsuitefinancialswm-ecommerceomnichannelBranden Jenkinsinventory management to CRMAndrew NewsomGeorge’s MusicWisteriaPOSIbex Outdoor ClothingorderOnline Commerce from A to Zhttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/10/07/online-commerce-from-a-to-z.aspxMon, 07 Oct 2013 18:55:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:27843Administrator3http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=27843http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/10/07/online-commerce-from-a-to-z.aspx#comments<hr />
<p>Website Magazine editors hit the aisles at Shop.org in our hometown of Chicago last week, and as most of our readers would expect, the buzzwords surrounding the annual summit were similar to what we&rsquo;ve been hearing all year: omnichannel and personalization.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The question becomes, however, how do retailers actually move from A to Z in their digital aspirations? Here are a couple dozen providers who would like to help you find out. All of the companies listed here were exhibitors at the show and some of them were interviewed one on one.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>360pi<br /></strong>Sixty percent of retailers believe that competitor pricing information is a very valuable component of their pricing strategies, but many enterprises don&rsquo;t have the data they need to offer effective pricing. 360pi provides that intelligence to medium- and large-sized retailers, so they can make smarter decisions about their pricing. Its quick-start program enables merchants to monitor up to 5,000 products. Retailers simply pick the products and their competitor sites and can be up and running in a few weeks, according to 360pi VP of Marketing Jenn Markey.&nbsp;</p>
<p>360pi is also at the forefront of helping retailers combat showrooming (when consumers shop at brick and mortars but then find the lowest price online) by arming in-store associates with real-time competitive price intelligence to respond to price-match claims. 360mobile is supported on smartphones, tablets, desktops, laptops or in-store kiosks.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Americaneagle.com</strong><br />The home of the world champion Chicago Blackhawks deserves an equally impressive website. Americaneagle.com recently launched UnitedCenter.com, a website for the country&rsquo;s largest arena where the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks play. Website development company Americaneagle.com recently launched the new, graphically pleasing site that is no responsive.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Bazaarvoice<br /></strong>Many of the world&rsquo;s largest retailers use Bazaarvoice to drive more traffic and conversion on their e-commerce sites. The way it works is each month, more than 400 million people view and share authentic opinions, questions and experiences about 20 million products on the Bazaarvoice network.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>ClickTale</strong><br />Announced post-Shop.org, ClickTale is offering a new free tool that allows businesses to view all user activity on their &nbsp;websites - every mouse move, scroll, click, double-click, etc. &ndash; in order to identify and correct Web design mistakes and increase conversion rates. &nbsp;ClickTale invented &lsquo;in-page analytics&rsquo; years ago, and has amassed more than 80,000 clients for its pay model. &nbsp;The new Priceless Plan levels the playing field for all businesses &ndash; even those who can&rsquo;t afford a full website optimization program.</p>
<p><strong>CommerceHub</strong><br />
Drop-ship merchandising and fulfillment platform CommerceHub announced the release of ProductStream, a solution that helps retailers automate the exchange and management of product item data, images and content between retailers and suppliers. With the wide variety of formats and requirements for publishing products on different storefronts, platforms such as CommerceHub will likely see an increase in awareness from serious retailers in the future.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Digby<br /></strong>This mobile technology provider helps retailers defend their positions (those with brick-and-mortar locations) and connect their on- and offline channels, to find new ways to engage with consumers in stores. Digby rolled out Localpoint in Jan. 2012, which is now the mainstay of the company and its primary focus. This is an opt-in service and part of a retailer&rsquo;s branded application. Cabela&rsquo;s is a big customer of Digby. The Localpoint technology is inside that app and helps the outdoor retailer offer real-time triggers, such as when a customer enters or exits the store. Those triggers can be used to drive an offer or a message that is sent to the customer through the app.&nbsp;</p>
<p>When asked, Digby CEO David Sikora told Website Magazine that these rich apps are extremely privacy friendly for consumers, because they are 100 percent opted in. At Shop.org, Sikora also spoke to Website Magazine about the investments that Kohl&rsquo;s is making around its branded app. The department store has around 30 million people who have its branded credit card, so Kohl&rsquo;s views that number as their market for their app.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Additionally, while Digby is not a payments company, it recommends attaching digital offers directly to credit cards to reduce redemption pains &ndash; like having to train tens of thousands of associates on how to redeem a coupon or voucher &ndash; and even costs. Sikora advises to look to Starbucks as a company that is leading the way in mobile payments.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>eBay Inc.<br /></strong>Boy did eBay have a presence at Shop.org and, well, in Chicago in general. Days before Shop.org, eBay acquired Chicago-based Braintree in a reportedly $800 million deal. Braintree enables companies to accept payments in their apps or websites at a 2.9 percent plus $.30 per transaction rate. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>ForeSee<br /></strong>More than 500 brands measure the customer experience with ForeSee, but it&rsquo;s mobile business that is building significant momentum in 2013. As of Sept. 26, ForeSee has collected more than 2.5 million mobile surveys from measuring more than 100 mobile sites and apps spanning numerous industry segments, such as retail, education, news media, healthcare and professional services.</p>
<p><strong>GoECart</strong><br />One solution for one business is the idea behind this all-in-one e-commerce suite designed for multi-channel retailers.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>HiConversion<br /></strong>HiConversion&#39;s technology uses real-time adaptive multivariate optimization and predictive modeling to increase revenue for top online merchants like PUMA, DKNY and National Geographic.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Hybris</strong><br />
With its acquisition by SAP all but complete, Hybris can now turn its attention to what it does best - providing a truly enterprise-ready, robust and scalable platform for multi-channel retailers who understand how the concept of unified commerce is changing the landscape, how they go to market today, and how they will need to grow in the future.</p>
<p><strong>iProspect<br /></strong>iProspect&rsquo;s offerings span performance marketing including paid and natural search, performance display, content generation, analytics, social media management, and structured data and feeds.</p>
<p><strong>Jainrain<br /></strong>On the heels of Shop.org, social login provider Janrain released date for Q3 2013 that reveals the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/10/03/social-login-wars-get-interesting.aspx">battle between identity providers is heating up</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Kount<br /></strong>Kount delivers an all-in-one fraud and risk SaaS-based platform for online companies to simplify their fraud operations while improving bottom line results.</p>
<p><strong>Listrak</strong><br />The email solution provider is ramping up its efforts to prepare merchants for the busy holiday seasons with its <a target="_blank" href="http://www.listrak.com/holiday13/">holiday toolkit</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Magento</strong><br />More than 200,000 businesses run on Magento and there&rsquo;s a few reasons why. First is flexibility, as retailers can create the look and feel, content and functionality of what they want for their online stores. Another reason, according to Ben Pressley, Head of Worldwide Sales at Magento, is time to market, because their product is feature-rich out of the box and they have a very rich ecosystem of third-party extensions. Pressley told Website Magazine that the cost of ownership is also far less expensive than competitors&rsquo;.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For 2014, Pressley says that merchants should expect continued momentum and innovation out of Magento, and he is excited by growth in terms of emerging markets. In Australia, for instance, Magento has a 42 percent market share. Pressley reports there are some very sophisticated use-cases of Magento in Australia.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Monetate</strong><br />At Shop.org, Monetate released two updated to its Acceleration Cloud: Monetate Email and Monetate Display. Read more about it at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/10/03/open-time-personalization-comes-to-email.aspx">Open-Time Personalization Comes to Email</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>NetSuite</strong><br />Like in Magento&#39;s case, Australia was also a sidebar of conversation in Website Magazine&rsquo;s interview with NetSuite General Manager of Retail Branden Jenkins. NetSuite recently helped Williams-Sonoma expand to the country with four stores and four separate brands in months versus the projected timeline of years with another platform.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The real digital beauty of Australia, which is said to be about 5-7 years behind the U.S. in terms of shopping sophistication, is that many retailers there can learn from the growing pains of e-commerce in America, especially concerning omnichannel. They can start out of the gates with a single platform, like NetSuite, that delivers a centralized look at POS, e-commerce, CRM and marketing, merchandising and order management, financials, and warehouse management.</p>
<p><strong>Needle</strong><br />Could you get one of your brand advocates to sell a $39,000 camera for you? That&rsquo;s exactly what &ldquo;Jess&rdquo; (a real person we actually met) did for one of Needle&rsquo;s customers. Needle works by recruiting brands&rsquo; strongest advocates, like Jess, and gets them to work for companies, answering questions, making recommendations and being passionate in online conversations with like-minded customers. Needle calls it &ldquo;guided shopping&rdquo; and it&rsquo;s a proactive approach to addressing customer concerns pre-sale rather than post-sale.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>OpinionLab</strong><br />OpinionLab is a leader in omnichannel Voice of Customer (VoC) feedback solutions, with patented real-time listening technology for every brand touchpoint. The VoC platform behind the familiar [+] symbol helps organizations collect, understand, and leverage both structured and unstructured customer data.</p>
<p><strong>PrestaShop</strong><br />PrestaShop&rsquo;s free e-commerce solution provides everything you need to open, operate and maintain an online store.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Qubit</strong><br />Qubit can improve conversion rates by consolidating visitor analytics, A/B testing, personalization and tag management within a single integrated platform.</p>
<p><strong>RedEye</strong><br />RedEye offers behavior email marketing by collecting data on individual consumer behavior and feeding it into their database. The company considers itself to be quite affordable.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Shoutlet<br /></strong>Shoutlet is an independent cloud-based social marketing platform that enables marketers to publish, engage, and measure social marketing campaigns and activities on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, and YouTube.</p>
<p><strong>SeeWhy</strong><br />
Shopping cart abandonment is a real problem for Internet retailers, but the savviest digital merchants are actively engaging reluctant shoppers and visitors with a combination of real-time offers and data-driven intelligence. SeeWhy, one of the true innovators in the remarketing space, is focused on leveraging its powerful processing architecture to help retailers not just understand buyer behavior, but capitalize on it.</p>
<p><strong>TurnTo</strong><br />There may be no one better to answer questions about your products than shoppers who have purchased and used them. This, of course, is the very idea behind user-generated reviews, but TurnTo is different. It&rsquo;s social Q&amp;A for your online store. When shoppers submit questions about products, the questions are emailed to selective opted-in past customers who actually bought the product. Those customers then return to the store site to answer the shopper questions. Answers are then added to the product pages and emailed to the shoppers. TurnTo finds that 41 percent of all qualified questions get their first social answer in less than an hour. The network also finds that shoppers who ask social questions are 10-15 times more likely to purchase a product.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>uTest<br /></strong>uTest provides&rdquo; in-the-wild&rdquo; testing services for mobile, web and desktop applications. By leveraging a community of more than 80k professional testers from 190 countries, uTest helps companies test their products under real-world conditions.</p>
<p><strong>Virtual Piggy<br /></strong>Virtual Piggy, Inc. is an e-commerce solution that enables kids to manage and spend money within parental controls. It enables parents to teach financial management through the use of a secure family wallet that is available online or via mobile and is always 100 percent free to use. Retailers like Claire&rsquo;s and Fathead use it.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>WorldPay</strong><br />As the name indicates, WorldPay is a global payments service. It supports the complex payment processing requirements of the largest enterprises, processing millions of payments every day. They accept and reconcile a breadth of international and country-specific payment methods in numerous currencies and languages.</p>
<p><strong>X<br /></strong><i>Do you have an e-commerce solution that starts with an X? Let our editors know by commenting below!&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><strong>Yesmail<br /></strong>On Oct. 2, Yesmail announced its deliverability intelligence platform: an all-in-one, full-service email deliverability solution. This service gives small and large brands alike the ability to effectively measure inboxing, identify deliverability challenges, and proactively address them before they translate into thousands of dollars in lost revenue.</p>
<p><strong>Zmags Corp<br /></strong>Zmags unlocks new revenue opportunities for retailers and marketers by delivering fully branded, commerce-enabled digital catalogs and publications that are consistent across all consumer touchpoints.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=27843" width="1" height="1">E-Commerceiprospectlistrakmagentonetsuiteclicktaleshop.orgdigbybazaarvoiceutestmonetateredeyeshoutletgoecartwmfeatureforeseeyesmailprestashopamericaneagle.comOpinionLabNeedlevirtual piggyqubitKounteBay Inc.Zmags CorpJainrain360piHiConversionTurnToSell Digital Goods the "Light" Wayhttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/08/09/sell-digital-goods-the-quot-light-quot-way.aspxFri, 09 Aug 2013 13:30:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:26748Amberly Dressler3http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=26748http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/08/09/sell-digital-goods-the-quot-light-quot-way.aspx#comments<hr />
<p>Today&rsquo;s merchants aren&rsquo;t just vendors who sell physical products. Music, videos, games, software and the like are in-demand goods on the Web. </p>
<p>To meet its clients&rsquo; needs for selling digital assets, <a href="http://www.lightcms.com/" target="_blank">LightCMS</a>, a <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" target="_blank">NetSuite</a> company, recently added a Digital Goods feature that removes the hassle of third-party integrations. </p>
<p>The way it works is when a customer purchases digital goods online, LightCMS fulfills the customer&#39;s order automatically by delivering download links via email and on the customer&#39;s online order receipt. In addition, if a merchant ever updates a digital asset, the system automatically emails previous purchasers to notify them that a new version is available for download. LightCMS also allows sites to generate &quot;free download&quot; links for use in promotions. These single-use links can be emailed to customers and their usage history can be tracked via the LightCMS store management interface. </p>
<p>&quot;The addition of Digital Goods gives customers of LightCMS a new way to broaden their offerings, attract new customers and increase their site traffic and revenue streams,&quot; said Justin Cowan, Director of Content Management for LightCMS. &quot;Digital Goods gives merchants new flexibility to sell physical, digital or a combination of goods in a single order and heightens the appeal of LightCMS to a broader range of e-commerce and website operators.&quot; </p>
<p>Here is the Digital Goods process in images: </p>
<p>New product variant screen with options for goods that are physical, digital or both. </p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;border:1px solid black;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/lightcms_digital_goods_1.png" width="600" height="638" alt="" /></p>
<p>One-time use links can be provided to customers for promotional purposes. </p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;border:1px solid black;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/lightcms_digital_goods_2.png" width="600" height="638" alt="" /></p>
<p>Manage physical and digital variants of a product on one screen. </p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;border:1px solid black;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/lightcms_digital_goods_3.png" width="600" height="638" alt="" /></p>
<p>The new Order Receipt with download links for digital products. </p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;border:1px solid black;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/lightcms_digital_goods_4.png" width="600" height="263" alt="" /></p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=26748" width="1" height="1">netsuitedigital goodslightcmswm-ecommerceselling downloadsJustin CowanPet Industry Goes Wild for NetSuitehttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/07/25/pet-industry-goes-wild-for-netsuite.aspxThu, 25 Jul 2013 18:55:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:26525Allison Howen0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=26525http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/07/25/pet-industry-goes-wild-for-netsuite.aspx#comments<hr />
<p><strong>The pet industry is a $53 billion market (<a href="http://media.americanpetproducts.org/press.php?include=144263" target="_blank">and growing</a>), but with 2.5 million unique visitors heading to <a href="https://siteanalytics.compete.com/petco.com/" target="_blank">Petco.com</a>&nbsp;and even more (3.7 million)&nbsp;<a href="https://siteanalytics.compete.com/petsmart.com/" target="_blank">going to PetSmart.com</a>, it&#39;s tough for independent pet companies to stand out on the Web, or elsewhere. </strong></p>
<p><strong>For this reason, several pet retailers, manufacturers and distributors have flocked to NetSuite, finding success with the company&rsquo;s cloud-based commerce system.</strong></p>
<p>Ruffwear, Dog Is Good, Pup-Pee Solutions, P.L.A.Y. and Happy Jack leveraged <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" target="_blank">NetSuite</a>&rsquo;s integrated suite of business management software to provide a better customer experience to prospects across channels. NetSuite offers ominchannel B2B and B2C sales, financials, inventory and order management, manufacturing and CRM functionality. The platform helps companies serve their customers better because it allows anytime access to real-time data on sales, profitability, inventory, suppliers, customers and more. In addition, NetSuite cloud eliminates issues like IT maintenance and troubleshooting so that users can focus on other areas, like inventory, expanding their brand and delivering a great omnichannel customer experience across websites, call centers, direct sales and other touchpoints. In other words, NetSuite allows these brands to compete with, well, the big dogs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>NetSuite not only helped <a href="http://www.dogisgood.com/site/index.html" target="_blank">Dog is Good</a>, <a href="http://www.ruffwear.com/" target="_blank">RuffWear</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thepetloo.com/" target="_blank">Pup-Pee Solutions</a>&nbsp;and <a target="_blank" href="http://happyjackinc.com/">Happy Jack</a> increase efficiency and expand their brands into new markets, but also assisted <a href="http://www.petplay.com/#next" target="_blank">Pet Lifestyle And You (P.L.A.Y.)</a> achieve 70 percent year-over-year growth since it launched its business on NetSuite&rsquo;s platform in 2010.</p>
<p>It is important to note that since NetSuite provides real-time business information that is available at any time, users can avoid delays of piecing data together from a variety of applications and instead make business decisions efficiently. Check out some additional benefits of the cloud-based platform:</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">-<span> </span>Users can improve supply chain operations with integrated inventory and order management. Plus, they can build demand forecasts with real-time data, which reduces excess inventory or the risk of stock outs.</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">-<span> </span>The platform provides a real-time, 360-degree view of a user&rsquo;s business by integrating financials / ERP, CRM and e-commerce. This allows businesses to manage their interactions directly with consumers, other businesses and trading partners.</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">-<span> </span>NetSuite allows data to flow to wholesale distributors and their trading partners, in order to ensure communication is in sync with the same data, audit trails and real-time accuracy at every stage.</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">-<span> </span>Enables stakeholders to share container, pallet, location, forecasting, scheduling and unit-level data while collaborating on a common cloud platform.</p>
<p style="padding-left:30px;">-<span> </span>Allows users to manage all transactions and associated customer interactions regardless of touchpoint.</p>
<p>&quot;NetSuite customers in the pet goods industry are no longer losing out on growth opportunities in fragmented environments of stovepiped applications,&rdquo; said Roman Bukary, NetSuite VP and GM of manufacturing and Wholesale Distribution. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re gratified to see so many pet goods companies thrive in the pet goods sector by taking advantage of the benefits of cloud ERP, CRM and Ecommerce.&rdquo;</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=26525" width="1" height="1">netsuitewm-ecommerceomnichannelpet retailers5 Design Elements That Can Help Maximize Online Saleshttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/07/25/5-design-elements-that-can-help-maximize-online-sales.aspxThu, 25 Jul 2013 15:30:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:26512Administrator4http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=26512http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/07/25/5-design-elements-that-can-help-maximize-online-sales.aspx#comments<p>:: By Evan Brandell, LightCMS ::
</p>
<hr />
<p>Website design trends are constantly evolving, often leaving those responsible for ecommerce either scrambling to keep up or simply resigned to the fact that they&rsquo;re running an outdated site. But keeping the online shopping experience fresh does not require a complex and costly tear-down every year to meet shifting preferences. Following these five design tips will help to create fresh, modern storefronts that customers can access anytime, anywhere.</p>
<h3>1. Create a Large Feature Area</h3>
<p>Whether it&rsquo;s used for announcing sales, new product arrivals or as a more novel form of customer engagement, a large spotlight area anchoring the home page creates incentives for customers to visit frequently and explore the storefront. Large visuals have a deeper impact on customers than a list of search results or even a normal product page. As a general rule, the feature area should be updated at least twice a month &ndash; a goal that sellers with frequent promotions or large inventory turnover should have no trouble hitting. </p>
<p>Even businesses with consistent inventory that avoid discounts can benefit from the large feature spotlight. It makes an ideal place to lure customers into blog content, or for deep dives into how the company&#39;s products are designed, manufactured and used. The technological requirements are quite light&mdash;many content management system (CMS) platforms offer built-in spotlight tools complete with randomized and/or sequential slideshow capabilities. If not, manually scripting such a feature area is a straightforward task. </p>
<h3>2. Incorporate Flexible, Mobile-Friendly Technology</h3>
<p>The world just keeps getting more complicated for Web designers. Desktop displays are growing larger and more plentiful. Some smartphones boast HD displays while others display at relatively low resolutions. In such a complex landscape, the key is to remain calm, remain flexible, and check your work. Maintaining a second, separate mobile site is a common fix, but it&#39;s wearisome because you commit to maintaining two storefronts instead of one. </p>
<p>The growing trend is responsive design, creating sites which are responsive to the constraints of the client on a case-by-case basis and that avoid throwing tiny, unreadable text at the would-be shopper. Reformatting based on actual screen size, not just device type, is an important distinction. Responsive design, which can present a stripped-down version to mobile users without actually losing the underlying capabilities and code, is more sustainable. Above all, stop using Flash. Flash looks great on desktops, but terrible on phones and tablets &ndash; if it even displays at all! </p>
<h3>3. Maintain a Clean, Texture-Free Layout</h3>
<p>Even companies that prefer a busy, textured presentation for informational pages should think twice about cluttering their store design with anything but solid backgrounds and plenty of white space. Why? Because when the customer is browsing a storefront, they want to find products&mdash;not textures. Products, descriptions and prices are the reasons customers are engaging with the store. Simpler layouts, using flat design, ensure the information that matters to customers stands out. </p>
<h3>4. Use Engaging, Right-Sized Product Images</h3>
<p>What&#39;s good for storefront design is not the best choice for product imagery. Whenever possible, choose images that show products in use or in their natural settings, rather than floating against flat, white backgrounds. Customers want to see how and where they will use products, understand how the products will meet their needs and visualize how products will fit in with the rest of their belongings. Show that rake hanging next to a shovel on the garage wall rather than isolated in a sterile, artificial environment. </p>
<p>Additionally, minimize page loading times by pre-scaling images to their display resolution, rather than relying on browsers to scale them interactively. And adopt a uniform size and dimension for the products on your site. When image sizes vary, the result looks jumbled and unprofessional. </p>
<h3>5. Enhance the Cart Icon</h3>
<p>Spruce up the shopping cart icon so that it is more than a simple, static graphic linking to the cart page. Provide at-a-glance totals for the number of items and even the total, out-the-door price of all items added to the cart. The cart icon should be in the header of each and every page you display to the customer&mdash;because guiding the user to checkout is the final, crucial step in closing the deal. </p>
<p>Enhanced cart icons provide shoppers with positive feedback and confirmation that their selections have been logged and are ready for purchase, while still leaving them free to browse the rest of the store. </p>
<p>Making careful, considered design choices can mean a world of difference in maintaining a website that engages the customer and leads to a sale without constantly needing an overhaul. </p>
<hr />
<p>About the Author: </p>
<p>Evan is an experienced designer with LightCMS, an intuitive, easy-to-use cloud-based <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lightcms.com/">content management system</a> (CMS) used by small and medium-sized business to create beautiful websites and online stores. He can be reached at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:ebrandell@netsuite.com">ebrandell@netsuite.com</a>.</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=26512" width="1" height="1">cmsnetsuiteshopping cartwmfeaturemobile friendlyonline sales